Apparatus for methods of filling measured amounts of viscous liquids or finely divided solids



June 1959 R. M. MAGNUSON 2,889,856

APPARATUS AND METHODS OF FILLING MEASURED AMOUNTS OF VISCOUS LIQUIDS 0RFINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS Filed April 12, 1957 l INVENTOP GENEVIEVE l.MAGNUSON L EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF 27 ROY M. MAGNUSON DECEASED NJJUnited States Patent APPARATUS AND METHODS OF FILLING MEAS- URED AMOUNTSOF VISCOUS LIQUIDS OR FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS Roy M. Magnuson, deceased,late of Saratoga, Calif., by Genevieve I. Magnuson, executrix, Saratoga,Calif.

Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,417

6 Claims. (Cl. 141-5) The present invention relates to fluent materialssuch as viscous liquids or flowable finely divided solids, and isconcerned more particularly with the provision of methods and apparatusfor placing accurately measured amounts of such material into acontainer.

It is the general object of the invention to provide for placing ameasured amount of material into a desired location such as a container,where the material is of a character to render it difficult to start andstop a flow with exactness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for starting orinterrupting a flow of material through space which comprises a gaseousjet.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the attainment ofthe above objects when the material is a viscous liquid or a flowablefinely divided solid.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred method for carrying out thisinvention and a preferred apparatus embodying the invention, asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partially in section of a portion ofthe apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating another condition ofthe operation.

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of the invention but is in generalsimilar to Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic View illustrating the entire apparatus andprocess.

Referring first to Figure 4, the apparatus of the invention includes atank or sump providing a source of material from which the material isremoved by suitable means such as a rotary pump 11 and carried through apath of flow provided by conduit indicated schematically at 12, andeventually terminating in a conduit 13 (Figures 1 and 4) which isthreaded into the upper end of a casting 14 having a branch 16 directedvertically downward and a second branch 17 leading off from one side ofthe branch 16. Opposite to the opening of the branch 17 there isprovided a gas nozzle 18 which receives a suitable gas such as air froma pipe 19. The upper portion of the casting 14 provides a spaceimmediately below the nozzle end of the conduit 13 and extending pastthe gas nozzle 18 and the opening into the conduit 17, and in this spacethe stream 21 of material is traveling in unconfined fashion so that itcan be readily subjected to the gas jet to be diverted into the openingof the conduit 17 as opposed to continuing downwardly through theconduit 16. In the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2 the verticalbranch 16 provides a path of discharge for the stream of material 21during filling operations, and the return branch 17 provides analternative path of flow for the material when the air jet is turned on.In the form shown in Figure 4 this second or alternative path of flow 17leads to the tank 10.

A suitable container such as a tin can 26 (Figure 1) supported on aconventional belt type conveyor 27 is 2,889,856 Patented June 9, 1959provided in operative relation to the downwardly directed path portion16.

Referring to Figure 4, the gas or air flowing through the pipe 19 iscontrolled by means of a rotary valve 23 from a suitable blower 29, thevalve having a control arm 31 which is connected to an armature 32 of asolenoid 33. The time interval of energization of the solenoid 33determines the length of time the air jet is on, this energization beingcontrolled by a timing circuit 34, an on and oil switch 36 and acontainer actuated switch 37 from a source of electric power 38. Thetimer 34', after being initiated in operation by container 26 throughthe switch 37, serves to control the time the liquid stream 21 isdiverted from its downwardly moving path and directed into the returnpath or conduit 17. This period can be accurately controlled so that anexact measured amount of liquid or solids from the vertically downwardlymoving stream of constant volume in cross section and of constantvelocity is fed into each container. in this form of the invention theair jet is normally in an on condition as shown in Figure 2, and it isthe time it is oil that governs the amount of material fed.

In the Figure 3 modification there is shown a form of the inventionwhere it may be desirable to not only place a measured amount ofmaterial in a container but also to treat this material with a gaseousmedium. In this form of the invention the path of flow provided by theconduit 17 leads to the container 26 for a filling operation, and thedownwardly directed stream through the conduit 16 is normally eflectiveto return material to the source of supply.

It will be seen that with the form of the invention illustrated inFigure 3 the material to be filled in the container may be aerated ifdesired, dried if the gas supply is a drying medium such as hot dry air,or perhaps treated in some other fashion.

In either form of the invention the use of an air knife or gaseous jetprovides effective means for instantaneously stopping or instantaneouslystarting a flow of material with respect to a given path. Such an airknife or gaseous jet is especially useful with viscous liquids or finelydivided solids.

While certain preferred methods and apparatus for carrying out theinvention have been shown and described, it is apparent that theinvention is capable of variation and modification from the form shownand described so that the scope thereof should be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of feeding a measured amount of a fluent material such asviscous liquids or fiowable finely divided solids into a container whichcomprises establishing a stream of the material of constant volume incross section and moving vertically downward at a constant rate througha first path of flow including a space where the flow is relativelyunconfined, providing a second alternate path of flow for the material.at an angle to said vertically moving downward stream and leading fromsaid space, providing a gas jet directed across said downward movingvertical stream and directed toward said second path, and utilizing thegas jet to control a flow of material for a given period of time to feeda given quantity of the material along one of said paths.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 in which the container is placed toreceive the material from said first path, and in which the gas jet isemployed to start and stop the flow along said vertically downward path.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 in which the container is placed insaid second path and in which the gas jet is utilized to remove themeasured amount of material from the vertically downward moving streamand to treat the material as it is being fed into the container.

4. The method of feeding a measured amount of a fluent material, such asviscous liquids or flowable finely divided solids, which comprisesestablishing a stream of the material of constant volume in crosssection and moving at a constant rate toward a discharge path, providinga gas jet directed toward said stream and also directed toward a secondalternate path, and utilizing the gas jet for a given period of time tofeed a given quantity of the material along one of said paths.

'5. In an apparatus for providing measured amounts of fluent materialsuch as viscous liquids or flowable finely divided solids, meansproviding source of supply of the material, means for causing saidmaterial from said source to flow, in at least one portion of its path,as a stream of constant volume in cross section and at a constant rate,means for providing a gas jet directed across said stream, and meansproviding a second alternate path for receiving material directedthereto by said gas jet.

6. In an apparatus for providing measured amounts of fluent materialsuch as viscous liquids or flowable finely divided solids, meansproviding source of supply of the material, means for causing saidmaterial from said source to flow in at least one portion of its path,as a downwardly moving stream of constant volume in cross section and ata constant rate, means for providing a gas jet directed across saiddownwardly moving stream at a location where said stream is relativelyunconfined, and meansgprovidin'g a second alternate path for receivingma terial directed thereto by said gas jet, and means for controllingsaid jet providing means to cause discharge of measured amounts ofmaterial from the stream along one of said paths, and fordirecting'other amounts in the stream into the other of said paths.

Great Britain Mar. '14, "1947 France May 30, 1951

